Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1887-07-01
hush Oh her cheek deepened to Grim Grim

S0n. 55 e. 5s S5s
When the doctor came at noon, he
found her in a high fever. q Hum ~
he said. with an ominons shake Of the
head. II have bin fighting typhoid
symptoms from the first. and it looks
now as # they had gotten the better OF
me. What has occasioned the changer
Have you any idea 3 OUR. OUR!
The words were hard u spoken before
Mrs. Grant sprang up with a ", Id
light in her eye, crying, Hush ! THEY'VE
come. Did't I tell you sol! He .0zsul,tts
brings them from the mill. I must go
right down and get dinner = while. at
the same instant steps were heard on
the piazza below, and a gruf MASCULINE
voice announcing, s.You have q line
view here, deacon @ *e.$s.5= {. n
Company!" gasped Aunt Debby,t
and then flew to her charge. for it re-
CURED all her own and the Doctors
strength to keep her i'll bed. J.
All that afternoon she raved: rs
there meat enough |? o Sarah, have
you made the coffee ? How many arc
they :? Ten, twanty. oh, hundreds. and
and hundreds How can feed them
all? And Aunt Mvra says the bread is
sour; she'll be sure to say it before
them. O james james! e".S
The success of the dinner party was
| never known. The deacon left before
they were seated at the table, and hur-
ried away, panc-stricken, to his wife's
| room, whence, It's the sight Of him only
increased her rav,ngs. he was sum
marily elected by the doctor. All her
wild words burned into his soul, fixing
| as he afterwards said, the brand of Cain
upon his brow. g:.,
There followed weary weeks-weeks
OF anxious watching, weeks of prayer
and agony. Even Aunt Myra sec med
strangely ssubdued, while the deacon
moved about like a man from whom all
hope had been crushed. There seemed
no ground for hope, and yet they hop
ed and waited.
At last came the crisis. .'To-night,"
said the doctor. 'the fever will turn. l
will watch while you both go away and
pray:' for he knew we'll that neither
burst ng heart could bear the strain OF
that watch.
Aunt Derby threw herself on the
sofa in the little parlor, and lay mo-
tlonless; the deacon went out of doors.
Hour after hour he walked back and
forth in dumb anguish which could
lind no Inference. even in prayer. AT
last he dragged himself into the parlor.
and said pleadngly, ''Aunt Debby, do
you think there's any hope?''
"Yes,' was the calm reply, '.there
is gseat hope for her-that she will
soon be in Il land where company is
unknown; and there is hope for you,
too: You can air your favorite text
on her tombstone only l should like
to add footnore. saying that, in this
instance, the given is used instead of
sacrificed. -
20 my God - said the stricken
man, bowling his head upon his hands;
my punishment is greater than can
bear.'
''Dear friends.' broke in the doctor
"a glad note of joy in his voice-"let
us give thanks to the Father The
crisis is passed, and she is sleeping
sweetly."
And they gave thanks, with stream
ing eyes and bated breath; such thanks
as can come only from hearts who
have watched their dearest down
through the death valley into the land
| OF hope and life. And Aunt Debby
whispered through her tears: Forgive
me, james. The anguish had driven
me Wild"
Il have nothing to forgive,'' he an
swered stoutly. Il deserve IT all, and
much more. can meUer forgive my
SELF
Doctor" he continued mcekly, after
Aunt Debby had stolen softly to the
room above. ''do you think if I were to
send Aunt. Mvra away entirely, Helen's
| chance of recovery would be better?'
II think SO, certainly was the re-
ply. "You see she has been, by her,
on such a constant nervous strain for
the past two years, that nothing but an
| absolute relaxation of the tension can
do her any good.'
Then tomorrow she shall co." said
the deacon emphatically. And to-mor-
row she went.
DO you know, Deacon Grant," said
DR.. Brownell, one sultry July d az, as
he and his bride fingered over their
dessert OF berries and cream in the
deacon's cool dining room, ''do You
know It is just five years ago to-day
since l first dined with you?'
Five years, is it?' said tho deacon.
"Well, Well, it don't seem so long:
They've been the happiest five years of
my life, and I've you to thank that I've
known how to live them
me? Oh, no, not altogether; give a
little thanks to Aunt Debby and the
typhoid fever. By the way, Mrs. Grant
You don't keep open house now, I
believer ~.
open house! No, indeed; not SO
open US l wantit BY half;' and the smile
which lighted up Helen Grant face
had no tinge of bitterness now: have
to scold this husband OF mine whenever
l want company, and half the time
even the scolding does no good. It's
T diculous, when have such an excel
lent girl IN the kitchen. and wien
Aunt DebbY relieves me Of almost all
the care Of Harry" sac ,u,!,.t,
with y loving kiss to the three year old
monarch enthroaed in his high chair by
her side. -ss ~
What do you think. docp'' said the
deacon dryly; she s coaxed and coax
ed. Until I've at last consented to her
asking Aunt Myra here - -
Aunt Myra!' calculated the doctor.
y es, indeed: why not? the poor old
woman is lonely and half-sick;
change will do everything for her. Be-
S dies. I want to prove to you that I've
gained enough grace in the past live
years to enable me to live with any
body s.5ia> ] +s.
''Grace is an excellent commo d ;ty.''' :
said Aunt Debbv, grimly. ''and l know
you've got it, Helen; but am glad it
is something besides grace that has
put the color in your cheeks. I shall: